MARKET MANIPULATION
Publishing fake research is just like shouting ‘fire’ in a crowded theatre
If you shout "fire" in a crowded theatre, there might be two reasons for doing it. One is because you actually believe there is a fire and want to share your belief. The other is because you want everyone to rush out of the theatre and leave you with the best seats. This silly example highlights a tricky problem in free speech debates. A speech act can be an act of self-expression, but it could instead be an act to achieve some other end. We want to protect self-expression, but there are some speech acts that intend to cause outcomes that are not in the public interest. This is the key issue brought to the fore by Viceroy Research, which is famed in SA for its reports on Steinhoff and then Capitec. On Thursday Intellidex released a research report, commissioned by Business Leadership SA, which examines Viceroy’s research. Our view is that it is a mixed bag. There are some good elements, but also petty ad hominem attacks and juvenile sounding off about companies. Its Steinhoff report...
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